For members of the military, Shades of Green Resort is an affordable way to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation. In order to be eligible to stay, you’d have to fit into one of their categories, including active duty, reserve, DoD employee, or retired. Many veterans served honorably, yet did not serve long enough to retire from the military, and therefore are not eligible to stay at Shades of Green. That is true for most months, except September and January.

Each year, Shades of Green opens its eligibility to any honorably discharged veteran. Just bring a copy of your DD-214 and a valid photo ID, and you will have access to the resort and all of the amenities available, including discounted theme park tickets. So, if you’re a non-retired veteran planning a Walt Disney World vacation in January or September, consider looking into Shades of Green. Happy Veteran’s Day, and thank you for your service.

]]>54339Military Mouse – Veteran’s Dayhttp://www.wdwradio.com/2014/11/military-mouse-veterans-day/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/11/military-mouse-veterans-day/#respondThu, 06 Nov 2014 15:00:56 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=39026Hi. With the 239th birthday of the United States Marine Corps coming up on November 10th, and Veteran’s Day on November 11th, I wanted to take a moment to thank […]

Hi. With the 239th birthday of the United States Marine Corps coming up on November 10th, and Veteran’s Day on November 11th, I wanted to take a moment to thank the many Veterans that have served before me. It is truly an honor to walk in your footsteps.

I wanted to point out a few things that are happening around the Walt Disney World Resort next week. At Magic Kingdom® Park, there will be a special version of the Magic Kingdom Flag Retreat ceremony at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 11th. I’ve covered the basics of the daily ceremony in this post(http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/07/military-mouse-flag-retreat-magic-kingdom-park/). The special version will be longer than normal and will honor all veterans.

Over at Shades of Green® Resort, there will be a Marine Corps Birthday Celebration in the lobby from 4:00 to 4:30 pm on Monday, November 10th. They will celebrate the 239th birthday of the United States Marine Corps with a special cake cutting ceremony. On Tuesday, November 11th, they will have a Veteran’s Day Celebration in the lobby from 4:00 to 4:30 pm.

If you get the chance to check out any of these events, please let me know what you thought of them in the comments below. Until next time, Happy Birthday Marines. Also, please be sure to thank a veteran, not only on Tuesday, but every day.

(Photos from the author’s personal collection.)

Joshua Shusterman is United States Marine and has been stationed in both North Carolina and Hawaii. He is an avid Disney fan, and has taken several trips to Walt Disney World as well as Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, and Disneyland Resort. He has extensively researched military discount programs and offers from The Walt Disney Company, and loves to spread the word to his fellow service members. He can be reached on Twitter @JLShusterman or email at JLShusterman@Gmail.com.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/11/military-mouse-veterans-day/feed/039026Military Mouse – Flag Retreat at “Magic Kingdom® Park”http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/07/military-mouse-flag-retreat-magic-kingdom-park/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/07/military-mouse-flag-retreat-magic-kingdom-park/#commentsThu, 17 Jul 2014 14:00:52 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=37059Aloha. Today I wanted to talk about the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom® Park . It is a ceremony that takes place daily at Main Street, U.S.A.® and is modeled after […]

Aloha. Today I wanted to talk about the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom® Park . It is a ceremony that takes place daily at Main Street, U.S.A.® and is modeled after a military ceremony called Evening Colors. The ceremony is a way of paying tribute to the United States by honoring the American Flag, the symbol of our great nation.

Every day aboard all US military bases, the flag is raised during a ceremony called Morning Colors, and lowered during Evening Colors. For the purpose of comparison, I will focus on Evening Colors since there is no ceremony for the raising of the flag at Magic Kingdom® Park .

Prior to sunset, a small detail of service members will march out to the flagpole and take up positions around it. They will untie the halyard from the flagpole, and wait for the appointed time. In most cases, Colors is sounded at sunset, though in some cases there is a specific time set by the Commander for Colors to take place. At the appropriate time, “Attention” will be played, which lets everyone in the area know that Colors is about to begin. Military custom dictates that everyone in the area turn to face the direction of the flagpole at this time, come to the position of attention, and salute the flag if they are in uniform. After “Attention”, “Retreat” will be played. As the song plays, the flag is lowered slowly and removed from the halyard. When the music ends, “Carry On” is played, and everyone goes back to whatever it was that they were doing before Colors. The Color detail then folds the flag and marches it inside to be stored overnight.

The Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom® Park is very similar. It has taken place since Opening Day, October 1, 1971. The ceremony will be held every night at 5:00 PM, as long as the park isn’t under a weather condition and as long as the Christmas Parade isn’t being filmed. For the ceremony, a Guest Veteran is chosen at random each day from all of the Guests visiting Magic Kingdom® Park . This Guest Veteran assists the Main Street Operations Team, The Main Street Philharmonic (except Fridays and Saturdays), The Dapper Dans, and the Security Color Guard perform the ceremony. From time to time the Voices of Liberty singers and Color Guards from all branches of the military will be invited to participate.

The ceremony begins with The Main Street Philharmonic playing a fanfare of patriotic music. Then The Dapper Dans introduce the ceremony and, with the assistance of another special Guest, lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. After the Pledge, a trumpeter from The Main Street Philharmonic will play “Retreat” followed by the “National Anthem”. At this time, the flag is lowered slowly by the Security Color Guard. Next, “God Bless America” is sung while the flag is folded and given to the Guest Veteran. The Guest Veteran is then introduced, and a medley of each branch of service’s songs is played. The entire group of participants then march the flag down Main Street, U.S.A.® to be retired for the night. For their participation, the Guest Veteran is given a certificate, a commemorative pin, a PhotoPass™ card with all of their photos on it, and a complimentary 5×7 photo from PhotoPass™.

As you can see, the Flag Retreat ceremony is very similar to Evening Colors. It is a wonderful tribute to our country. The next time you find yourself in Magic Kingdom® Park , please take a few minutes to check out this patriotic event. A very special thank you to the Walt Disney Company for providing the information about the history of the ceremony.

(Images from the author’s personal collection.)

Joshua Shusterman is United States Marine and has been stationed in both North Carolina and Hawaii. He is an avid Disney fan, and has taken several trips to Walt Disney World® as well as Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. He has extensively researched military discount programs and offers from The Walt Disney Company, and loves to spread the word to his fellow service members. He can be reached on Twitter @JLShusterman or email at JLShusterman@Gmail.com.

]]>http://www.wdwradio.com/2014/07/military-mouse-flag-retreat-magic-kingdom-park/feed/837059More Than 300 Veterans Participate in Disney Career Expo as Part of Heroes Work Herehttp://www.wdwradio.com/2012/05/more-than-300-veterans-participate-in-disney-career-expo-as-part-of-heroes-work-here/
http://www.wdwradio.com/2012/05/more-than-300-veterans-participate-in-disney-career-expo-as-part-of-heroes-work-here/#respondMon, 28 May 2012 21:47:56 +0000http://www.wdwradio.com/?p=17637LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 24, 2012 – Hundreds of military heroes returning to civilian life learned valuable interviewing tips and resume writing techniques from Cast Members at Walt Disney […]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., May 24, 2012 – Hundreds of military heroes returning to civilian life learned valuable interviewing tips and resume writing techniques from Cast Members at Walt Disney World Resort.

Today’s career expo attracted more than 300 new veterans to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and was part of the Heroes Work Here initiative. Veterans also had the opportunity to attend a special networking session and hear from Disney executives who served in the U.S. Armed Services about transitioning military skill sets into the private sector.

Heroes Work Here reflects The Walt Disney Company’s commitment to provide at least 1,000 jobs and career opportunities for returning U.S. veterans over the next three years. It also includes support of organizations that assist veterans and their families during their transition to civilian life, and the launch of a national public awareness campaign to encourage employers across the U.S. to hire veterans.

In the days just before the expo at Walt Disney World Resort, similar expos in Burbank, Calif., and New York City also attracted hundreds of new veterans and helped them develop job-seeking skills.

With more than one million service members projected to leave the military between 2011 and 2016, the need to support military families with initiatives like Heroes Work Here is growing. New Veterans have proven to be an excellent match when they transition from military service to a career with Disney.

The Walt Disney Company was founded by two World War I veterans-Walt Disney and Roy Disney- and love for country and support for the U.S. Armed Forces is a long-standing Disney tradition.

This year approximately 250 veterans have been hired to join various divisions of The Walt Disney Company, including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, ESPN and Disney Consumer Products.

All those who served in the U.S. military are invited to learn more about Disney’s veteran hiring initiative and explore career opportunities at Disney by visiting http://HeroesWorkHere.disney.com/

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 13, 2012 – Today at The Walt Disney Company’s (NYSE: DIS) Annual Shareholder meeting in Kansas City, President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger announced Heroes Work Here, a new company-wide initiative to hire, train and support returning veterans. The new program continues Disney’s long history of respect and appreciation for the U.S. Armed Forces by expanding the company’s commitment to recognize and honor the sacrifice and service of these men and women.

As part of the initiative, Disney will provide at least 1,000 jobs and career opportunities for returning U.S. veterans over the next three years, support military families and veterans during their transition into civilian life, and launch a national public awareness campaign to encourage all employers across the U.S. to hire veterans.

In addition to providing career opportunities for veterans, Disney will also invest in select non-profit organizations that provide training and other support services. Through the Disney VoluntEARS program, employees will also engage in service projects with veterans’ organizations in communities around the country. The public awareness campaign, featuring veterans currently employed in various businesses across The Walt Disney Company, will highlight their value, encourage companies to hire these highly skilled men and women, and direct them to the Joining Forces initiative for more information.

“As a new generation of America’s military men and women transition into civilian life, we are increasing our commitment and support for these modern day heroes,” said Mr. Iger. “It’s a measure of our respect for how much they have sacrificed on our behalf, and our sincere gratitude for their extraordinary contributions to this country.”

He added, “The military values of honor, integrity, commitment, and courage, along with the skills and experience they’ve gained through their service, make veterans incredibly valuable employees for any company.”

Heroes Work Here includes recruitment efforts across all segments of The Walt Disney Company, including ESPN, the Disney-ABC Television Group, Disney Consumer Products, The Walt Disney Studios, and Disney Parks and Resorts. The company will host career fairs and participate in events designed to showcase opportunities for returning military personnel.

Information about Heroes Work Here and available positions for veterans can be found at a dedicated section of the Disney Careers Website.